Wescal Cantrell
: "Nar dralshy'a, Republic Pig-Dogs!" Wescal Cantrell (14 BBY—) , the Man in Black, is considered to be one of the fiercest warriors ever to step onto the battlefield bearing the banner of the Imperial Legion. Known for his tenacity in combat, he has been injured in several occasions which most troopers would consider incapacitating. However, the fire of the Mandalorian culture recently discovered burns bright in Cantrell's heart, often making him a favored trooper among the upper echelons. Veteran of many incursions, and known to travel among the galaxy in search of the truth of his existence, Cantrell has seen it all and done it all. Biography Early Life (14 BBY-1 BBY) Cantrell was indeed born on the backwater planet of Pakrik Minor, but anymore than that is still shrouded in mystery. His parents are, to this date, still a mystery. They were last seen at Vik Cantrell's beast ranch, leaving the infant Wescal in the care of his uncle. No one knows for sure who they were, what they did, or how they died — that is, if they died. Rumor has it that they were connected with the Black Sun organization. Others point to refugees from the Imperial regime. Life on the Cantrell ranch was pretty rough for the frail and sickly Wescal. But as time went by working at the ranch, he grew to be an energetic, fun-loving child, enjoying the outdoors. He grew to enjoy hunting Pakrik boars in the grasslands, honing his skill with rifles. It was at this time the Empire was at it's glory, and began to lure the young child's curiousity. His uncle, a Rebellion sympathizer, shrugged off the young Wescal's fascination with the Imperial Ground Forces as nothing more than "a free ticket to your own death." Joining the War Machine (6 ABY-11 ABY) The destruction of the First Death Star sparked something inside Cantrell. Having been a fanatical enthusist of the Empire, the loss of the Death Star angered the young child. Being only 15 years old, he was far too young to join the Imperial Ground Forces. His uncle, being a supporter of the Rebellion, was outraged by Cantrell's wish to join the Empire. Tension mounted between the two as the years went by, as Cantrell's desire grew stronger and stronger. On his 19th birthday, Cantrell packed up his things, and against his uncle's wishes, set off from Pakrik Minor and embarked into the long journey to Coruscant. Not too long after arriving to Coruscant, Cantrell was shipped out to Carida, and began training. The need for more troops was in high demand, as the Empire was facing more and more defeats at the hand of the Rebellion. Having scored high marks in marksmanship, athletics, and overall hardiness, Cantrell was assigned to the IGF's 8th Scout Division. The young Cantrell saw action mostly in more backwater planets, scouting for possible locations that the Empire can serve. It was on the planet Ylesia, located in Hutt Space, that Cantrell first caught the eye of the Imperial High Command. A small squad from the 8th Scout Division were sent to the Hutt planet to investigate reports of high ranking Rebellion officials when they came under fire from joint efforts of the Rebellion and Bothan freedom fighters. Cantrell, being the squad commander, successfully fought off the insurgents and brought each of his men out of the messy situation. His company commander, Captain Tersen, recommended that Cantrell be recommended to join the Stormtrooper ranks, and sure enough was sent to Carida. Cantrell, the Stormtrooper (11 ABY) Cantrell was made to be a stormtrooper. Even at a young age, he was known to be very stern and serious, but at the same time cool and collected, even in the face of battle. He garnered favor from his instructer, First Sergeant Evis Kest. A skilled marksman, Cantrell gained high marks in sharpshooting and precising shots. His specialty did not fall in sniper work, however, he was recommended for heavy weaponry, excelling in operating an E-Web unit and other heavy rifles. Cantrell graduated in the top one-hundred of his class. Upon graduating, Cantrell was re-assigned to the 9th Stormtrooper Regiment, at the time under the command of General Vorn Paro, and was stationed aboard the [[I2SD Tormentor|HIMS Tormentor]], ranked Corporal. The first day onboard the Tormentor forshadowed Cantrell's future career as a Stormtrooper and in the Imperial Armed Forces. Upon his first day, Cantrell was in the brig section of the Tormentor ''and witnessed two Jedi dueling. Attempting to intervene proved to be futile for the young Cantrell, being flicked away like lint. Seeing his eagerness to fight despite the odds, he became a favorite of his company commander, Lieutant Petra Doom. He soon became friends, albeit rivals with Maethor Savage. This is also the beginning of a long standing friendship with pilots Danik Kreldin and Fianar Reanus. Shortly after arriving on the ''Tormentor, Cantrell was tasked to the more routine work of a Stormtrooper: ship boards, scanning, crowd control...not exactly the most glamorous of work. His breakthrough moment came during the third war on Coruscant. The 9th Stormtrooper Regiment and the 9th Armor Division waited for the New Republic forces and engaged in an epic war. Despite having a grenade round explode close to his face, Cantrell, now a Master Sergeant, continued to fight, even with a half-blasted off helmet. For his valiant efforts in the battle, Cantrell was recommended for a commissioned rank and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. Further combat success and the fourth war on Coruscant, Cantrell was promoted to the rank of Major, and given command of the 9th Stormtrooper Regiment. Trying Times and the Neo-Imperial Movement (12 ABY) As times progressed and the sudden oust of Emperor Kendal Osbourne, Cantrell grew to dislike the moves and views the Imperial High Command had. After a string of defeats due to the High Command's incompetance, Cantrell was starting to get fed up, hating to see fellow troopers he valued die without no glory. This is when his trusted friend, Danik Kreldin, came to Cantrell and asked for his help. Being a loyal supporter of Osbourne, Cantrell decided to help his old friend and the Loyalist cause, resigning his commission from the Empire and joining his friends. Cantrell, and a number of troopers supportive of Cantrell, joined Danik and Reanus in the formation of the Neo-Imperial Movement, in command of the movement's ground force compliment. During a raid on Kashyyyk, Cantrell was forever known among his circle of friends as the 'Butcher of Kashyyyk', having launched a grenade round that destroyed a Wookiee orphanage. Not long after this raid, a power struggle erupted within the ranks of the NIM, Cantrell siding with his long-time friend. He and his comrades faced the killing blow of the movement on Etti IV, with his friend Danik captured and presumably killed, and sending him and Reanus fleeing. In Exile (12 ABY-13 ABY) Having lost one of his best friends and several others went missing, plus having left his niche for so many years, Cantrell went into exile, drifting around the galaxy in search of work. During these times, Cantrell sought employment in Starlight Studios, being a bodyguard for several of the high profile talent the company employeed. It was also in this time that Cantrell, for a brief period, raced in the swoop races, his best achievement was second place in the G4 division on Flipside. Settling into the CSA, Cantrell worked as a security agent, but never was satisfied with the job, having been too in the thick of things back in the Empire. During this time he struck a friendship with a bounty hunter by the name of Racra, another being in the world similar in Cantrell's beliefs and method of combat. He also did some mercenary work with criminal organizations, having worked as bounty hunters for Hutt crimelords and even being the bodyguard for high ranking members in the Black Sun crime syndicate. His exile from the Empire was soon to be over as the Warlord Darth Malign sought out his expertise. A New Beginning (13 ABY-14 ABY) Returning back to where he belongs, Cantrell was put into service, though suffering an severe reduction of rank, being busted down to Corporal. However, Cantrell really wasn't expecting much of an ovation after being away for so long. Getting back into the fray proved to be taxing and emotionally demanding for the trooper, having to start back from the beginning. Cantrell was overjoyed to discover that his long-time friend and comrade, Danik, was still alive, and in fact was back in the Imperial Navy. During a brief period of inactivity and being in reserve status for the Imperial Ground Forces, Cantrell received news about his lineage and his true history, and finding out that he is more than just a seasoned warrior, but in fact a true descendant of the Mandalorians. His parents were among the few true Mandalorians remaining. His desire to fully investigate his lineage had to be temporarily halted, as the Empire needed his services, and was reassigned to the 501st Legion as a Master Sergeant, where he is currently today. Disappearance and the Return of the Mandalorian (15 ABY-17 ABY) His time and service not needed anymore by the Empire, Cantrell resigned from his post once more, perhaps for good. After witnessing the defection of one of his long-time compatriots, Sandor Woden, Cantrell decided there was no more respect and order in the Empire. Setting off on the Vendetta, and using the little information he received from his 'uncle', Vik, Cantrell set off in search for the warrior planet Mandalore. After many roadblocks and months of travel due to unreliable information, the Man in Black finally found the planet. Upon arriving, he was met with open hostility and resentment. After staring down the unfriendly Mandalorian meeting party on the surface and after a brief but bloody fire fight, Cantrell proved his worth to stay on the planet, however, he was made clear that any assistance or hospitality from them was not going to be possible. Living a hermit's life, living along the banks of the Keldabe River, Cantrell would watch the Mandalorian's from afar, studying their very culture, social lifestyle in hopes of winning the respect of the people. Eventually, the opportunity came in the form of pirate attack, in which Cantrell saved the lives of a chieftan's family. Finally winning the respect of the Mandalorians, Cantrell was accepted into Mandalorian society, and now sought out to find out what truly happened to his family. However, once again his journey into finding out who he really is was cut short, for Darth Malign tracked him down once more. Reluctant to go back when he is so close to discovering who he is, Cantrell agrees, for this time he is much more powerful than he was before, and was more than willing to test out his new skills. Battle History IGF and Stormtrooper Legion: *Battle of Etti IV *Battle of Tatooine *Third Battle of Sullust *Battle of Pride-1 *Second Battle of Pride-1 *Caspian Annexation Campaign *Battle of Mon Calamari *Third Battle of Coruscant *Second Battle of Kashyyyk *Third Battle of Athaniss *Battle of Mutanda (GCW) *Fourth Battle of Coruscant *Second Battle of Chandrila *Fourth Battle of Corellia *Fourth Battle of Sullust *Battle of Barida *Battle of Chiarn *Battle of the Gate of Thrawn New Sith Order: *Battle of Kashyyyk (Sith Campaign) *Battle of Smuggler's Run (Sith Campaign) *Attack on AB-345 Appearances Miscellaneous IC Notes * Cantrell's personal ship is the Vendetta, a modified Telgorn Gamma-class Assault Shuttle, painted matte black. * Has been known to fancy Sullustan cigarettes and Corellian ale. * Only known love interest was Cam Hall, sister of Jack Hall, known to be tied with the New Republic. Cam mysteriously disappeared around 13 ABY. * Most treasured piece of equipment is a ZCF Grenade Launcher Petra Doom gave him as a reward. * Widely known to be one of the few Imperials not considered racist, or biased towards alien beings. * Reputed to have a very cynical view of life, stating those who die "were weak and were wasting space of worthy combatants." * As of late, has been theorized to be a border-line psychotic, due to his fearlessness and sometimes blatant disregard of enemy combatants. * Highly respected among Naval Pilots, due to his friendship with pilot legends Danik Kreldin and Fianar Reanus. OOC Notes Cantrell joined the MUSH around August, 2002, having been a 4 year veteran of Strange New Worlds, a Star Trek MUSH. Cantrell also played on SW2 (which was the worst time he's ever had RPing), and has been MUSHing or MUDing since 1997. ---- Cantrell, Wescal Cantrell, Wescal Cantrell, Wescal